Family Ties
by themindofmine
Summary: A small town with military ties is plauged by someone killing off spouses of enlisted men and women. The sheriff with ties to the BAU calls them in to help find a killer before he strikes again.
1. Chapter 1

Family Ties

Chapter One

Gilipin County Colorado

The man lay on the side of the road. His arms crossed over his chest. The woman bent over and shook her head. She knew this was a war she couldn't fight on her own. Taking her phone out she dialed the one number she prayed she never had to use.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

FBI Headquarters Quantico Virginia

"Four victims, three women and a man, found dead on the side of the road in the last six weeks." Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau handed the team files. "The Sheriff of Gilipin County Colorado called us in."

"Cheyenne?" JJ looked at Derek Morgan.

"Chyanne Hawkes." Aaron Hotchner looked at the younger man.

"She graduated with you from Profiler training, right."

"Yeah. She knows her stuff. Why would she call us in when she's got the training and know how?" Derek looked at JJ.

"The county's population is just over five thousand. Over a thousand of those residence are on active duty. Six hundred of those were deployed in the last six months. The four victims are spouses of deployed solders."

"Oh man, that's got be weighing heavy on the town."

"And the Sheriff." Derek stood up. "Her husbands a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps."

"Is he deployed?" Hotch looked at Garcia.

"He came home two weeks ago to attend his brother's wedding. He's going back in another week."

"That will make her a target." Derek looked at the team in front of him. He trusted these people. They were good together. He looked at Spencer Reid, Dave Rossi, JJ Jareau, Aaron Hotchner, Emily Prentiss and Penelope Garcia. "Cheyenne worked her whole life to put killers behind bars and now one is right in her back yard. She needs our help." Hotch stood.

"Then let's help her."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Cheyenne Hawkes stored her service pistol in the safe in the closet and closed the door. It had been a long hard week. The BAU was going to be at the office by morning. The smell of something wonderful drifted though the house.

"Cody?" She came into the kitchen.

"Hey." He came around the counter and kissed her. "You look beat." She closed her eyes.

"I wish you didn't have to go." He took her in his arms.

"I know. Me too." His wife was the strongest woman he had ever met. She never let anything get her down. But this was eating her alive. "Sixteen more months and am all yours again sweetheart." Leaning against the counter he held her close. "Just give the word baby and I'll get my leave extended." She looked at him.

"No, the longer you take off now the longer they'll keep you." Cheyenne wiggled out of his arms. "Dinner smells great." Cody knew she was shutting down. She always did when the time of his leave ended.

"We need to talk about this Chy."

"What's to talk about? You wanted two more years and I agreed."

"Cheyenne you know that's not what we agreed to. You wanted the sheriff's position and I thought it would be good for us to move up here."

"It has been good. Till now." She boosted herself on the counter.

"I don't want to leave knowing that someone might be after you."

"Derek and the BAU will be here in the morning." Cody handed her a bowl.

"Do you regret marring me Cheyenne?" She looked at him with surprise.

"Where the hell is that coming from?"

"I just need to know that you still want the same things."

"You know I do. We can go back to California when your tour is up if that's what you want Cody," She set down her bowl and took his face in her hands. "I choose this life when I choose you. All I want is to make where we decide to live the safest place I can." He kissed her.

"Sixteen months Chy. Then we can decide." He knew that deep in her heart she wanted to stay here and if that made her happy then he would do his best to make sure they never had to leave this place.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Morning." Cheyenne looked up from her morning coffee. Derek Morgan stood in front of her. Smiling she stood up.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." She hugged her old friend.

"How are you holding up?"

"Cody leaves in six days." He looked at her.

"We're going to catch this guy Chy."

"The family's are getting scared Derek."

"Did the crime lab come back with anything more?"

"I have the files in the ready room for you and the team."

"How's Cody holding up?"

"He doesn't want to leave."

"Maybe that's a good idea."

"If he delay's going back they can tack up to a year on his deployment even if the emergency is your wife might get killed." Cheyenne hadn't slept much in the last two weeks, he could tell.

"Let's put together what we have and see what we come up with." Derek followed her to the conference room at the end of the hall. The rest of the BAU team was waiting. Introductions were made and Cheyenne went to the head of the table.

"The last autopsy confirmed that Todd Whitaker died like the others of affixation. We've put together a list of everything the four victims had in common. It's a small county so we have several overlaps of all four including church, gas stations, grocery stores, video stores, dry cleaners, doctors, lawyers.

"What about time lines?"

"I just finished the one for Todd. His wife was deployed with my husband eight months ago. Things have been rough with economy the why it has been so most of the remaining spouses have taken second jobs. The door opened and Cody Hawkes stepped in. "This is my husband Cody; he's also a detective with the sheriff department." They nodded greetings. "He's not leaving behind anything we can work with. No DNA, no prints. Nothing."

"We'll want to see the last drop sight." Morgan looked at Cheyenne.

"Cody can bring you out there. I have a meeting to get to. The wives and husbands of other enlisted are getting leery. They trust me because I'm in the same boat they are." Spencer Reid stood.

"None of the victims had children?"

"That's right."

"So maybe we need to look at the deployed soldiers that don't have children and protect them."

"I'll get the list as soon as I finish my meeting. Cody can help you with anything else you might need till I get back." Cheyenne grabbed her folders and headed out the door. Derek looked at his friends retreating form. Cody stood next to him.

"She's not dealing with this well." Derek looked at Cody.

"We'll get this guy Cody."

"I hope so because I need my wife to come home to Derek." Cody turned and headed out the door. Hotch came behind him.

"Should we pull them off the case?" Derek looked at his boss and friend.

"Those two people are the only thing keeping this county from running for the hills. Ever since they got married they moved around and this was the one place they both felt like home. Cody was set to leave the Corps when he got pulled in for another two years."

"Go find out what you can at the last dump sight." Derek nodded and headed the direction Cody Hawkes had headed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Derek Morgan surveyed the scene and looked over the photos he had in his hand. Something was bothering him about this whole thing and he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Something isn't adding up." Derek took off his sun glasses.

"You're telling me. Why would somebody target people who are already depressed and agitated over their lives?" Derek look at him.

"Maybe he thinks he's helping them."

"That's a motive." Cody kneeled down and looked at the tacks. "I came out her with her the night they found him. This guy is good Derek. He didn't leave a trail. It was like he was dropped from the sky. No one comes out here anymore. Not even hikers. A group of bikers had taken over the bar about thirty miles west but it was one of the first things Cheyenne did when we moved here."

"You're still a decent tracker from what I hear." Cody smiled.

"I don't know these mountains like I know the Sierra's but I do okay."

"Come up with anything?"

"Not a damn thing. That's what eating at all of us." Derek looked around.

"It might as well be the end of the world." Cody stood.

"Derek I leave in five days. She won't let me put it off." He looked at the desolated strip of highway. "I need to know she's safe." Derek looked at the man his friend had loved for as long as he could remember.

"If we don't catch this guy before you go I won't leave till we do. That's a promise." He knew Cody Howkes loved his wife more then life it's self. He only wished he could find someone half as much in love with him someday.

"It's getting dark. I want to be half way out of this stretch of nowhere before the sun sets."

"Scared of the dark Hawkes?" Cody smiled.

"No but if we have a blow out or worse the cell reception sucks." They got back into the truck. "So have you told Emily that you like her yet?"

"Your wife has a big mouth." Cody put the truck in gear.

"No, she just wants everyone as happy as we are."

"God help us all."


	2. Chapter 2

Family Ties

Chapter Two

Cheyenne sat at the table with Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid. The rest of the team went to talk to the families of the other victims. She couldn't really focus today. The family meeting had gone badly and the headache that started at sunrise was going to last till sunset at the rate she was going.

"Are you okay Cheyenne?" She looked up at Emily.

"Nothing catching a killer won't cure." She smiled a small smile.

"There's something else bothering you."

"I hate being in a room with profilers." Emily laughed.

"Sucks don't it?" Spencer looked at the two women. He would never understand them ever.

"Why don't you let him stay until this is over?"

"If he stays they can tack on another six months to his enlistment."

"It's a family emergency."

"The government frowns on family emergencies. I just want him to do his time and make it back safe and sound." Cheyenne stood and got a cup a coffee. "I wish I could get a handle on this guy."

"We will." Reid stood up and grabbed his files. "You called us and that was the first step. I'm going to call Garcia and see if she found any more similarities." He left the two women alone.

"He always amazes me." Cheyenne sat back down.

"He is a wonder isn't he? Other then the leaving part how are things with you and Cody?" Emily raised her eye brows.

"You're a little nosey for a woman who's crushing on a man so bad she can barley see straight."

"We're not talking about me."

"Emily this case is tearing us both up inside. I barley said two words to his family last week when we went back for his brother's wedding." She leaned forward and put her fingers on her temple trying to rub the stress away.

"They understood I'm sure." Cheyenne shook her head.

"I don't know." The door opened and Morgan and Cody walked in.

"Are you okay Chey?" She looked up.

"Peachy." Standing up she headed out the door. Cody caught her arm.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She pulled her arm out of his grip.

"Just a headache." She left Cody, Derek and Emily staring at her back as she headed toward the rest room. Derek looked at Emily.

"Something happen?"

"Nothing I can share." She looked at Cody. "We're gathering the information and should have a profile soon."

"The sooner the better." Cody turned and left the two profilers alone.

"Do you think she'll tell him she's pregnant before he leaves?" Derek looked at Emily.

"I hate when you do that." She smiled.

"It's a gift."

"More like a curse. She's wanted kids for a long time but she was waiting till Cody got out of the Corps."

"She's thirty five Derek. Time is passing her by."

"Yeah, I guess. We need to catch this guy. Between the killings and the deployments the moral in this town is falling fast. I talked to JJ and she said that the whole county is shutting down at sunset for a memorial."

"Nothing like remembering the dead to raise the sprits of a town."

"Cheyenne has always been strong and fearless." Derek watched as Cody tried to talk to her. "This can't be helping matters."

"Maybe if you talk to her."

"She never did care what I thought."

"Maybe now would be the time she would start to listen." Cody though up his hand and walked out the door. Derek shook his head.

"Let's profile an unsub and maybe things will work themselves out."

* * *

"Okay here's what we have." Aaron Hotchner sat at the end of the table. "This killer is leaving no trace behind. What does that tell us?" He looked at his team.

"Military background or maybe police." Derek looked at the files in front of him.

"Well there's no shortage of ex military within a hundred fifty miles."

"Do you think that they could have lost someone to the war? The way they lay the victim out like they're on display." Emily looked at the pictures on the wall. "Garcia came up with a bunch more connections one of being they were all members of Cheyenne's support group."

"They are all grieving in one way or another." David Rossi added. Cheyenne came into the room. She didn't look much better then she had an hour before.

"Sorry to interrupt but we may have another vic. Cal Robbins never showed up for work today. His boss wouldn't have been too concerned because he was off today but he's got a huge project coming up and Cal called in three hours ago and said he was on his way in." Cheyenne taped the man's DMV photo up on the wall. "Cal's wife is a nurse with the Army. She deployed six months ago and isn't do back for another fourteen. I put out a BOLO out on his truck and units on the way to secure his house."

"Is he part of your support group?" Reid asked.

"Not anymore. He tried it for awhile but then one day he quit showing up. One of the other's said he wasn't getting anything from it,"

"None of the victim's homes were violated in the other murders, so we know that they were taken from somewhere other then their homes." Rossi stood. "In fact you said their homes were spotless. Dust free, print free."

"He's cleaning their houses?" JJ looked at Rossi.

"He's making sure that when their spouse come home everything is perfect." Cheyenne put a file on the table.

"This one was slightly different. Cal has a son. He's fifteen. Lives with his mom in Little Rock." Cheyenne looked at the team in front her. "If this guy will go into this house and find out about Kyle pretty quick. There isn't a wall in that house that doesn't have a picture of him on it."

"So if he sees that Cal has someone else depending on him and someone who may miss him…he might not kill him?" Cody looked hopeful.

"I don't know if that's the way he's thinking. Cheyenne did Cal ever talk about his son in the support group? She thought a moment.

"No. Kyle and he have had a few rough patches from what I know. He hasn't seen the boy since last summer. I know that he was thinking about taking some time when Millicent came back to make things right with the boy,"

"But he never talked about the boy in the group."

"No, he was upset about Millicent going back to Iraq for a second tour. They were going to try for a baby when her papers came."

"Did he talk much about his desire to start a family with her?"

"He didn't talk much. He listened and it seemed like it was hitting home with him." Cheyenne looked at the people around her. "He was a good man. Is…a good man. He didn't take his wife leaving again any better or any worse then the rest of us." She looked at the pictures on the wall. "But he was dealing with it differently a few weeks ago. It was like he…wasn't thinking she was ever coming home." Looking at Cody, Cheyenne knew the feeling well. There were days she felt like that too.

"Let's check out the house and see what we come up with." They all stood and left the room. Cheyenne stayed behind. Cody came up to her and whispered in her ear.

"I'm always going to come home. Don't ever think anything different." She knew it was an empty promise. Cody could never know if coming home was an option on any given day. She knew what war was like. It was unpredictable just like life. Smiling faintly at her husband she nodded,

"I can't loose another one Cody." He took her in his arms. She was near her breaking point and he knew it.

"We won't." One last hug he let her go and let her get back to the real world.


End file.
